Why Are Many Believers Dropping Traditional Health Insurance? A Look at Christian Healthcare "Sharing" Options and How they Work

Aimee Herd : Aug 22, 2014
Christianity Today

The idea is based on the first century Church described in Acts 2:44-45, "Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

The concept may be completely new to you, or you may have heard of it before; either way, Christian Healthcare "sharing" organizations have been around for a while, but are receiving fresh attention thanks to Obamacare.

So how do they work, and can you really trust them?

First of all, you have to free your thinking from the concept of traditional insurance, where you pay a premium, choose a deductible and possibly collect what's due you when it qualifies.

Sharing options are NOT insurance (all the programs seem to make that abundantly clear); instead you are actually paying the healthcare bills of another person or family, while others pay your bills when incurred.

The idea is based on the first century Church as described in Acts 2:44-45, "Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

According to a Christianity Today report; during the months that led up to enrollment in the Affordable Care Act, some "tens-of-thousands of Christians opted for faith-based insurance alternatives, where Believers contribute a monthly share toward paying for each others' health care costs."

What's that like? Well, here's an account of someone, Cody DeWitt, who had signed up for one of the largest healthcare sharing organizations—Samaritan Ministries (SamaritanMinistries.org)—and had been a member for about two years before he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"After pulmonologists, radiologists, anesthesiologist, oncologists, cardio-thoracic surgeons, and hospitals all had a whack at me, I was staring at over $115,000 in bills," DeWitt said. "But when the bills were big, the Body of Christ was bigger…

In addition to bills being paid, Cody says, "I received hundreds of cards, notes, prayers and shares sent by my brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the country. There I sat at my kitchen table as my wife unfolded the colorful picture that a 4-year-old girl drew for me to cheer me up."

There are other faith-based healthcare sharing ministries besides Samaritan, such as MediShare (MyChristianCare.org) and Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHministries.org)

While it may be difficult to overcome the habit of traditional health insurance, there are definite benefits to consider with the Christian sharing programs.

• You can choose your own doctors, clinics, hospitals, etc.
• You don't need to be "approved" by an insurance company before having a procedure
• The sharing amounts are usually less than the cost of personal insurance premiums

And, you are directly helping another Christian family to pay their medical bills.

That said, it may be a giant leap for some to make the break from insurance—especially if they are mostly covered by their employer. But it's good to know there ARE faith-based alternatives to Obamacare.